


What If We Held Hands in Electrical (And We Were On The Skeld)

by demi_gray



Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Culture, Aliens, Gen, Language, MIRA corporation, Mira - Freeform, No Romance, Nonbinary Character(s), Short Story, Swearing, crewmate, green is mentioned, impostor, in this house we believe in non-binary among us beans, some awesome cool platonic love tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:33:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27557683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demi_gray/pseuds/demi_gray
Summary: The power goes out. Yellow and Pink have a progressive conversation.
Relationships: Crewmate & Imposter, Pink & Yellow (Among Us)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 59





	What If We Held Hands in Electrical (And We Were On The Skeld)

Yellow was thoroughly fed up with MIRA.

The first several “impostor” incidents were a shock to everyone, sure. The next twelve or so? Understandable! But by the hundreds, one after the other, for years?

MIRA needed to get their shit together. This was just ridiculous.

Yellow was very, very tired.

The thought that anyone on the ship right now could be skulking in the vents, barbed tongue drawn and ready to behead?

It frightened Yellow.

MIRA was huge, capable, groundbreaking, and ahead of the times. Why were lone alien assassins so hard to deal with that MIRA had not even lifted a finger themselves?

Yellow would _love_ to give them all the benefit of the doubt. They were empathetic by nature, forgiving to a fault. But oh, no, MIRA was going to grind them down to sand.

But their frustration with their employers fought for the spot of main concern. There was only one thing that could match or even exceed MIRA in negative feelings for Yellow. Just one thing.

Electrical.

A small, secluded room near the bottom of the ship, the Skeld. Packed to the brim with metal and motherboards, it was certainly a sight to behold!

It wasn't the _work_ in the room that made Yellow uneasy. Each task was simple, no more than four or five steps and each never took more than a minute. No, those were just a bit monotonous.

There was just...something, something eerie. Whatever it was made the electrical room a liminal space. Maybe it was the stark metal, the many flashing buttons, or the dim overhead lighting?

Whatever the hell it was, Yellow was not the only one who felt unrest in the place. Good thing there was an unspoken “buddy” system in place on the ship. You only had to request a partner to come with you to electrical and everyone would understand why. Pink often volunteered to tag along whenever anyone needed company, and was known as the social butterfly on the Skeld. Everyone trusted them to help distract from Electrialitis, which is why Yellow was glad to have them with.

“What is it for you today?” Pink asked, stepping carefully over the lines in the flooring like a game as they made their way towards the infamous room.

“I need to reroute power,” Yellow answered. They fitfully adjusted their gaudy CCC cap, the comfort item doing little to quash the pit in their stomachs. “A certain someone needs a little too much processing power.”

Pink snickered. “When is Green _not_ going to?” they joked lightly, patting Yellow on the shoulder.

“Whatever it takes to please MIRA,” Yellow sighed.

Pink frowned. “I know I haven't been here as long, but I keep hearing complaining about MIRA.” They hopped over a roomba. “What’s the deal?”

“Sheltered-like, huh?” Yellow muttered, but didn't wait for an answer. “MIRA’s negligent as fuck,” they went on. “If they can do everything they have, then why can't they deal with a few impostors before they even have a _chance_ of getting on a ship?”

Pink shrugged. “It _is_ kinda sus.”

“Oof, I hate that word,” Yellow sighed, but made no further comment. “There’s just so much about these impostors that we don't know that MIRA might!” They gestured with a hand. “We have a right to know, right? To protect ourselves.”

“I think I get it,” Pink nodded. “ _My_ family _never_ keeps secrets. It's all about honesty.”

“Exactly!” Yellow continued to speak as the two entered electrical, staving off the sinking feeling the room gave by venting their frustrations. “Not to mention they’re pretty stingy with what they _do_ give us…”

Pink watched as they moved the dial to divert power to weapons. “Huh. I guess I just didn't grow up so affected by it.”

Yellow straightened. “Right, there’s the task done. Let’s get outta here.”

An abrupt rumble and tilt in the floor under their feet cut off anything being thought or said instantly. The whole ship jolted, and an alarm began to sound. The doors to electrical slammed shut and all the lights went out, including the red ones paired with the alarm and nearly every glowing pinprick on every machine in the room.

The power across the Skeld was down.

“Shit,” Yellow said.

“Shit,” Pink said in agreement.

There were a few moments of shuffling in the dark, the two crewmates bumping into each other before finding their footing and interlocking hands. Yellow was currently even more grateful for the buddy system.

“You good?” Pink asked, squeezing Yellow’s hand.

“I'm okay,” replied Yellow.

“If the power’s all off,” Pink began, sounding apprehensive, “Does that mean the engine and everything is gone??”

“You don't know?” Yellow asked, and when Pink shifted they backpedaled. “I-It’s okay. It’s not like this happens often, so I’m not surprised you don't know.”

“So... _is_ the engine off??”

“No,” Yellow assured them. “There’s a backup generator so the essentials can still work.”

Pink exhaled, leaning against the wall and slipping down into a sitting position, pulling Yellow along with them. “Phew.”

“MIRA aren't _that_ stupid,” the other said lightly. Yellow knew that they needed to stay calm and keep their buddy calm, too, so making jokes was a good way to do that.

“...you don't seem worried,” Pink murmured after a minute, pulling their knees to their chest.

Yellow sighed. “Naw, I’m super freaked out,” they admitted. “Like, really fucked up. But so are you, and I just...I don't wanna dwell on it. We’re safe where we are for now so we should just...stay positive, as cheesy as it sounds.”

“Hmm,” Pink considered. “Maybe. But...can I have some quiet? Just for a bit?”

“Okay.”

Yellow hadn't pinned Pink as a person to go silent in stressful situations. They were always so talkative every other time of day. They hoped they weren't overthinking things; despite the ship being down for the count, they were still safe (...unless there was an imposter. But it had been months with nothing happening).

They heard Pink shift again, their grip on Yellow’s hand tightening.

A soft light began to light up the room. At first Yellow thought the lights had come back on, but that wasn't it. Had Pink taken out a flashlight…? A glance at them showed that they hadn’t, but Yellow had to do a double take.

Pink was glowing.

It was a soft, warm light, much less blinding than a flashlight or the fluorescent tubes the rest of the ship provided. Their whole body let off this glow, and their visor looked...wet?

Were they _crying?_

“...Pink?” Yellow asked hesitantly. “Pink, you’re…”

Pink looked up from where they’d rested their head on an arm. A trail of moisture dripped from the bottom of their visor, and they used their free hand to touch it. “...oh,” they whispered.

“...what’s going on?”

“Um,” said Pink , wiping their visor. Their glow waned. “I just...um.”

“...you’re not the same species as I am, are you?”

“We...we glow where I come from to calm each other down,” Pink stammered, grip on Yellow’s hand loosening. “Sorry, I just...this was too much for a bit there.”

Yellow thought for some time, doing their best not to stare at the other.

“...are you an imposter?” they asked finally.

Pink sniffed. “Uh,” they muttered, letting go of Yellow’s hand.

“You _are_ , aren’t you?” Yellow concluded. When Pink continued to avoid eye contact, their suspicions were further confirmed. “Wow. Okay then.”

Pink drew in on themself, almost seeming to shrink.

“Uh, I’m not afraid, really,” Yellow told them, surprised at their own words. “You, uh, haven’t harmed anyone yet, so…”

“We’re trying something new,” Pink said, wiping their visor(?) again. “We know a lot about your biologies, but...not much socially.”

“...you’ve been studying us??”

“I mean, yeah??” Pink looked to Yellow as if it were common knowledge. “What did you think we were doing all that for?”

“...killing?!”

Pink went silent for a moment. “...you mean you guys _really actually_ die?”

Yellow stared dumbfoundedly. “ _You didn’t know?!_ ”

“I mean, we usually just pass out for a bit if we get cut open??” Pink said. “Sometimes if we lose a body part a new one grows from it. You don’t have that?”

“I thought you studied our biology!”

“Apparently not well enough,” Pink mused, looking troubled. “I’ll definitely have to let everyone know that…”

Yellow clutched their head. “All this fucking time…”

Pink’s glow had returned to its more confident, brighter state. “Uh, sorry?” They scratched the back of their head. “We didn’t know. I don’t know if anything’ll make up for it, but I personally haven’t been involved in any...killings.”

“Oof,” Yellow breathed. They looked to Pink. “Look, I’m glad you’re not here to hurt us, but you do know that I’m gonna have to tell someone about this, right?”

Pink sighed. “I know. We were planning on making direct contact sooner or later, but we wanted to do some more observing first, y’know? Less outside interference.”

Yellow took a deep breath, slowing their heart rates. “...you don’t _really_ look like a crewmate, do you?”

“Huh? Do I not?” Pink asked. “I thought I’d perfected the appearance.” They looked at themself.

“Um, no, I mean...you didn’t _originally_ look like this.”

“Oh! Yeah, nope,” Pink shrugged. “But I do now!”

“What do you _really_ look like?”

Pink frowned, considering their words. “I think I get you now. We don’t really...do that? Permanent forms aren’t usually our thing. I really _do_ look like a crewmate.”

“So you’re...constantly shifting??”

“It’s our natural state, yeah,” Pink nodded, lifting a hand. Over the course of about ten seconds, claws formed on their fingertips. “I’d be all over the place, but it’s not polite to do so in front of your species, right?”

“...I guess it wouldn’t be, depending on what you were turning into.” Yellow stared at Pink’s hand as the claws receded and their fingers smoothed back down to harmless nubs. “What _would_ you look like if you didn’t have to look like that?”

Pink shifted. “...I enjoy this form. I mean, I could stand to be a little taller, but...there’s something so charming about the way these suits look.” They twiddled their fingers cheerily. “I can see why the rest of my kind were drawn to you all!”

“...you’re sure you aren’t going to kill anyone?”

“I’m not exactly here to do that.” Pink tapped a finger on their chin. “Besides...interacting with you all is much more fun.”

Yellow shuddered. “What if it _wasn’t_ fun for you?”

“I mean, a job’s a job,” shrugged Pink. “Like I said, I’ve never...harmed anyone personally, and it’s not on my agenda to do that.” They gave Yellow a meaningful look. “Can we keep this all between us for now? You can tell them all eventually, but I wasn’t supposed to let you know, and...well, I’m not supposed to cause any panic.”

“The lockdown wasn’t caused by you, then.”

“No. There aren’t any more, ah, impostors among us, either. I think this was just a genuine collision with something outside. Like a hunk of rock.”

“I hope it was,” Yellow said. They paused. “...I hope someone is in weapons monitoring the repairs systems. If those are still working we should be let out soon enough.”

Pink let out a sigh of relief. “Good. I don’t like the dark.” They took Yellow’s hand again, more gently this time. “...is it an odd thing to be emotionally attached to something that’s a different species from you?” they asked suddenly, picking at dust on the ground with their free hand.

“...I don’t think so,” Yellow said. “Have you ever seen the pets some crewmates have? A lot of them aren’t even organic.” They shrugged. “On my planet, people get attached to other creatures that live there all the time. There’s just something about a small fluffy thing that’s endearing.”

Pink frowned. “But you’re not soft _or_ fluffy.”

“...it’s not exclusive.”

“Hmm. Your culture is even more detached. We’re the only creatures on my planet besides the flora.”

“You guys don’t eat meat?”

“What’s meat again?”

“...nevermind.” Yellow chuckled. “Sometimes people can even get attached to plants, too. Like, they’ll keep an easy-to-manage plant in their home for decoration, and then get sad if it dies. Does that make sense?”

Pink shrugged. “Maybe. I guess I just don’t understand attachment to...physical things. Besides family.” They mused. “Perhaps we should have been taking the ‘pets’ along with us too.”

“...perhaps it’s better you didn't…?”

Pink studied Yellow’s visor, apparently drawing from their body language. “Huh, maybe.”

The servers in the room shuddered before returning to life, all the little blinking lights searing into the dark and Pink’s comparably soothing glow. “Oh, there’s a good sign,” Yellow exhaled with relief, standing up. Pink did not, but their hand went along in Yellow’s, farther than any standard crewmate’s, as they toddled around the room to check if everything was back on.

The overhead lights buzzed back on next, Pink’s glow fading away as they finally stood as well. On cue, the doors slid open with a strained hiss, a similar sound coming from Pink. “That’s much better,” they decided, Yellow agreeing with a nod.

“I _think_ everything is stable now,” Yellow went on, “But it’ll be good to have Green check in to be sure. I’m not the expert here.”

“Of course.”

Together they stepped into the hallway, crewmate and impostor hand in hand, heading to the cafeteria.

Yellow was scared shitless still, yeah, but not of Pink themself. They’d proven convincingly to not be a threat during those tense minutes (hours?) in electrical. But Yellow worried still about MIRA, and the rest of the crewmate’s reactions if and when Pink were to come forward.

Somehow they still trusted Pink, even after all the anxieties. Maybe it was just their soft side talking, but Yellow knew a bad person when they saw one, no matter the species. Pink wasn’t bad, just a little ignorant on how a crewmate’s world worked.

But the impostor species were apparently not attacking any longer, and may even be opening up communications in the future, if Pink was to be believed. Yellow didn’t have high hopes in MIRA, but they’d prefer to not be dead, so…?

The future was uncertain, but Pink’s hand felt right in Yellow’s and that’d do for now.


End file.
